From Bonn to Belém: Amazonian Indigenous voices leading the way to COP30

By Gisela Hurtado, Senior Amazonia Campaigner at Stand.earth

As the world races toward the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil in November, Indigenous Peoples from across the Amazon Basin are stepping forward with a powerful message: there can be no climate justice without Indigenous rights. At the June Climate Meetings in Bonn (SB62), which took place from June 16th to 26th, Amazonian leaders brought a unified political mandate shaped in the forests of Brazil to the halls of international diplomacy.

The meetings gather governments and civil society prior to every global climate summit, serving as a crucial space to lay the groundwork for upcoming negotiations. This year, Amazonian Indigenous leaders arrived not just to participate, but to lead — bringing with them a political mandate to ensure their priorities are not only heard, but acted upon.

Amazonian Indigenous Peoples’ priorities for COP30

Over 70 Indigenous leaders representing the nine Amazonian countries convened from June 2nd to 5th in Brasília, Brazil, and the result was a strong and unified declaration calling for transformative change in how climate policy treats Indigenous rights, territories, and knowledge. 

These six priorities define the Indigenous Peoples’ roadmap to COP30:

1. Recognition and protection of Indigenous territories, especially for Peoples in isolation and initial contact, as part of climate policy and action.
2. Direct access to climate finance and Indigenous financial autonomy.
3. Representation and full participation in decision-making processes.
4. Protection of Indigenous human rights and environmental defenders.
5. Recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems.
6. The creation of exploitation-free zones (No-Go Zones) in Indigenous territories.

Progress in Bonn

The Stand.earth team worked closely with Indigenous partners to develop the political declaration and provided technical support during the negotiations in Bonn, where these six priorities were present in every space we could reach. They were raised in side-events co-organized with allies, echoed in the official statements of the Indigenous Caucus, and brought into conversations with national governments.

We advocated for the inclusion of language on transitioning away from fossil fuels, safeguarding Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact, and addressing the impacts of mining in the context of the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP). We talked with the delegations of Colombia and Panama, who were key to echoing our proposals in the formal process. Australia and Mexico also acknowledged Indigenous rights in the JTWP. While Brazil remained largely silent, these mentions represent concrete steps forward.

We also engaged in the technical track on Adaptation, where governments are working to reduce and finalize a global list of indicators. With Colombia’s support, we pushed for indicators that reflect Indigenous knowledge, tenure security, and ancestral land management. While the final draft left out some of these proposals, the next steps for advocacy before COP30 are clear. 

Key moments ahead of COP30

With COP30 just months away, we have a clear path to continue building momentum. Stand.earth will engage in the following four moments, which will be critical for ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ priorities shape regional and global decisions:

• ACTO Presidential Summit (August, in Colombia) – This summit brings together the Presidents of the Amazonian countries under the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). Our goal is to ensure the Indigenous priorities are reflected in their commitments — including strong language on territorial rights, direct finance, and the establishment of an Amazonian Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism, which would strengthen their participation in the management of biodiversity and natural resources. This would be a major step toward full and permanent Indigenous participation in ACTO’s decision-making processes. 
• Fourth Dialogue on Just Transition (September, in Ethiopia) – The JTWP opened space to include outcomes from this fourth and final dialogue. This is a unique moment to push for the transition away from fossil fuels, the inclusion of the risks of mining, as well as the protection of Indigenous Peoples in isolation and initial contact — and to insist on a climate justice in phasing-out fossil fuels. The Global North bears a significant debt to the Global South when it comes to climate justice: while wealthy countries have historically contributed the most to climate change, developing nations suffer the worst effects. The Global North must pay their debt and contribute to raising financing to transition away from fossil fuels, especially for countries whose economies are dependent on oil. A fossil-free future will only be possible with adequate financing. 
• Climate Week NYC (September, in the United States) – A major global spotlight on climate action, this is an opportunity to raise visibility for the Amazonian agenda, and amplify calls for direct climate finance. Also during this week, global leaders will gather in New York providing the perfect backdrop for global attention on the Amazon. 
• Pre-COP30 (October, in Brazil) – The final political checkpoint before COP30. This is where ministers and negotiators shape the high-level agenda. We are preparing a formal letter with concrete demands — not only for negotiation texts but for how Indigenous Peoples must be engaged in Belém. It is the final key moment to influence expectations, structure, and outcomes of COP30.

This is about our future

These four moments are not the only ones. Alongside our Indigenous partners — COIAB (Brazil), OPIAC (Colombia), AIDESEP (Peru), CONFENIAE (Ecuador), ORPIA (Venezuela), APA (Guyana), OIS (Suriname), FOAG (French Guiana), and CIDOB (Bolivia) — we are supporting a broad movement for unity and strength from the territories to the global stage. We are building toward Belém with strategy, dialogue, and vision.

More than diplomatic events, these are decision-making spaces where the future of the Amazon and the whole world is at stake. We will be providing Indigenous leaders with technical support, bringing the voices of the forest and the wisdom of ancestral guardianship to international negotiations.

At Stand.earth, we are proud to rise alongside the Indigenous movement of the Amazon Basin. We serve as allies and facilitators — supporting coordination, providing technical advice, and amplifying their leadership across all levels. Together, we believe a fossil fuel-free, just, and biodiverse Amazon is possible.